British Airways Gets Approval
For Air Liberte Bid in France

British Airways , reporting a 9.3% rise in first-half pretax profit, said it received approval from a French court to acquire insolvent French carrier Air Liberte.

The bid for Air Liberte, in partnership with Banque Rivaud of France, will now proceed following a decision by a commercial court near Paris not to liquidate the carrier, which went into receivership on Sept. 26. A British Airways spokesman said he expects the deal to be...